"East of Eden" (1981) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Harvey Hart

Writers:

Richard Shapiro (writer)
John Steinbeck (novel)

Release Date:

8 February 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series | Based On Novel

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Timothy Bottoms	...	Adam Trask
Jane Seymour	...	Cathy / Kate Ames
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Charles Trask
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Lee
Karen Allen	...	Abra
Hart Bochner	...	Aron Trask
Sam Bottoms	...	Cal Trask
Warren Oates	...	Cyrus Trask
Howard Duff	...	Jules Edwards
Anne Baxter	...	Faye
Richard Masur	...	Will Hamilton
Nicholas Pryor	...	James Grew
Lloyd Bridges	...	Samuel Hamilton
Nellie Bellflower	...	Mrs. Trask
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Sheriff Horace Quinn

Also Known As:

"John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden'"

Runtime:

480 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Monrovia, California, USA

Company:

Barney Rosenzweig Productions

Trivia:

Timothy Carey, who plays an evangelist, also appeared in the 1955 James Dean version.

Movie Connections:

Version of East of Eden (2009)

Yes! This Steinbeck!

We all know the '55 version with James Dean, which is based (loosely) on the epic novel by John Steinbeck. The three major films of James Dean were destined to become cult classics because Dean and his tragic early death lends itself to cultism. But, Dean's East of Eden was Hollywood and hardly Steinbeck. Not to slam it as it was a fine film-- but not Steinbeck. This miniseries utilizing the skills of the Bottoms Brothers and a fine cast-- Jane Seymour is superb. The epic unfolds with the biblical story of betrayal, fratricide, envy and passion found in the book of Genesis. Steinbeck's books in his California period are sweeping epics that cross generations, sprout archetypes and are a wealth of discovery for the reader. Alas, his later works, in comparison, disappoint. But, East of Eden, which with its classic epic mate, The Grapes of Wrath, bring to light a struggle and conflict inherent in the human condition. This is no slight challenge to bring to the screen and it takes the length of a mini-series to do it justice. The saga of the Trask family becomes not only the tale of the fall from grace we all know from our Judeo-Christian tradition but the conflict that is part of all of us. Wrought with deceit, pain, misunderstanding and misjudgement, it is a tale of redemption, forgiving and hope. This is one of the best mini-series I've ever come across and for one that hates TV to sit with eyes glued to the screen from beginning to conclusion, it had to be good. Alas, no video or DVD. Watch for it on reruns.